Chapter 40: Soft Words. Can’t we just get married early?

When Shen Ji entered the palace for the Qionglin Banquet, the most excited person, aside from Ping An, was the third young master of the Jing An Marquis Estate, Gu Yuanwei.

Third Young Master Gu had never liked studying since he was a child and preferred brandishing spears and staffs, but he held a natural respect for scholars and a deep yearning for the Qionglin Banquet.

Although he would likely never have the chance in this lifetime, he had a formidable cousin.

A nineteen-year-old new Number One Scholar.

He could listen to his cousin’s tales of the Qionglin Banquet’s splendor.

Third Young Master Gu was in high spirits, and his anticipation grew as night fell. With nothing better to do, he practiced martial arts in the courtyard for a while. Estimating that the time was about right, he simply went to the front courtyard to wait.

Suddenly, he vaguely heard the voices of the young servants: “Young Master Cousin is back.”

Gu Yuanwei’s spirits lifted, and he hurried forward to greet him.

Two red lanterns hung at the entrance of the Jing An Marquis Estate. At this moment, their light spilled down, illuminating the carriage at the gate.

A familiar figure stepped down from the carriage.

“Cousin!” Gu Yuanwei took a few steps forward.

Following him, several more people disembarked one after another from the carriages behind.

These men were all dressed in identical Jinshi Turbans and Robes. Some had Rong flowers pinned to their hats, while others had silver flowers.

Third Young Master Gu was a bit bewildered, but as a young master of a marquis estate, he was well-versed in many matters. He steadied himself and asked curiously, “This is…”

——The Qionglin Banquet had ended, and everyone was leaving the imperial palace. As Shen Ji was returning to the Jing An Marquis Estate, many of his fellow Jinshi graduates were worried and insisted on escorting him.

Now that they had arrived outside the Jing An Marquis Estate, some still offered words of comfort, “Brother Shen, don’t be anxious. Perhaps there will be a turn for the better in this matter.”

“That’s right. You must remain calm at a time like this and not lose your composure.”

…

Gu Yuanwei was completely baffled by what he heard and couldn’t help but ask, “Cousin, what are you all talking about?”

Sensing that the atmosphere was off, he asked with some unease, “Did something happen?”

Xie Lanxiu, young and impetuous, heard Gu Yuanwei’s form of address and knew he was Shen Ji’s cousin, not an outsider. He immediately said indignantly, “His Majesty has ordered that Brother Shen is not to go to the Hanlin Academy. He’s being sent to a remote, minor county to be a county magistrate.”

As he spoke, his own eyes reddened.

“What?!” Gu Yuanwei was shocked. “Not allowed to go to the Hanlin Academy? What… what on earth happened?”

Wasn’t it the court’s unspoken rule that the new Number One Scholar would be directly appointed as a Hanlin Academy Compiler? His starting point was a huge step above that of ordinary Jinshi graduates.

“It’s all because…”

Xie Lanxiu had only spoken five words before he was interrupted.

Shen Ji cut in, “Because my words were inappropriate and I angered His Majesty.”

——He couldn’t mention the matter of refusing the marriage. If word got out that he was demoted for refusing to marry the princess, Su Zhenyue, as his fiancée, would inevitably be put in an awkward position.

Xie Lanxiu, however, felt a chill in his heart and suddenly realized his near-mistake. That was a close call.

Tonight, the emperor had publicly declared that the matter concerned the imperial family’s dignity, and no one was to breathe a word of it to outsiders. If he had just blurted it out, he would have offended the emperor as well. What would he do then?

After ten years of arduous study, he had finally passed the examination as the third-place graduate. Was he also to be sent to some poor, remote place to be a county magistrate?

Now that Shen Ji had taken the initiative to admit it was due to “inappropriate words,” the others, regardless of their true thoughts, could only chime in, “Right, right, right. Yes, yes, yes.”

They couldn’t possibly tell the truth, could they? That Shen Ji had insisted on his existing engagement, the princess had attempted to take her own life in shame and humiliation, and the emperor had taken his anger out on him?

Third Young Master Gu, unaware of the truth, genuinely believed it was “inappropriate words” and quickly asked, “Was it because you were drinking? A slip of the tongue after drinking? Would apologizing to His Majesty work? Can the situation still be salvaged?”

Shen Ji shook his head and said to the fellow Jinshi graduates who had accompanied him, “I’m fine. Everyone, please head back first.”

“Brother Shen!”

“Each person has their own future. You shouldn’t let my affairs delay all of you. Don’t worry, as long as one keeps the common people in one’s heart, one can bring blessings to a place no matter where one is.”

Shen Ji’s words were magnanimous and dignified, and most of those present nodded in approval.

A few even gave him a solemn bow. “Brother Shen is absolutely right.”

Seeing that Shen Ji, despite the setback, had not fallen into despair, the new Jinshi graduates felt slightly relieved. They did not linger and took their leave one by one.

The entrance to the Jing An Marquis Estate fell quiet once more, but the news had already begun to spread.

Tonight was the Qionglin Banquet, and Su Zhenyue was a little nervous.

Although she had reminded Shen Ji the day before yesterday, she couldn’t help but worry, sending Doukou to the front courtyard from time to time to see if the young master cousin had returned.

At the beginning of the Hai hour, Doukou suddenly came running in.

“Miss, it’s not good…”

Su Zhenyue’s heart skipped a beat. “What is it? What happened?”

Doukou grabbed the teacup on the table, took a large gulp of cold tea, and said quickly, “News from the front courtyard says… says that Young Master Cousin offended the Emperor at the Qionglin Banquet and can’t enter the Hanlin Academy anymore. He can only go to a small, remote county to be a magistrate.”

Su Zhenyue’s expression changed slightly. As expected, she thought.

It was exactly the same as in her dream.

She had specifically reminded Shen Ji to be cautious, but he still couldn’t avoid it?

Nanxing, at her side, quickly comforted her, “Miss, actually, being a county magistrate isn’t so bad. It’s still better than being a commoner. There are so many scholars in the world, and not all of them get into the Hanlin Academy.”

“That’s right,” Doukou chimed in. “There are plenty of people who study for half their lives and can’t even pass the county-level exam.”

“Mm,” Su Zhenyue replied distractedly.

She wasn’t concerned about that. What she worried about was that this would lead them back down the path from her dream.

Her only option was to find a way to avoid the fire at the post station during their journey to his new post.

And Shen Ji… to suffer such a setback at the height of his success, she had no idea what state he was in right now.

Su Zhenyue composed herself and asked, “Where is Young Master Cousin? How is he?”

“A lot of Jinshi masters just escorted him back, but they left at the gate. It seems Young Master Cousin has returned to Qingfeng Courtyard now,” Doukou answered, then added after a thought, “The Second Master has given orders that this is not to reach the Old Madam’s ears, for fear of startling her.”

Su Zhenyue pondered for a moment. “I’ll go to Qingfeng Courtyard to check on him.”

Doukou and Nanxing both nodded.

It was now close to the middle of the Hai hour.

Normally, the gates between the inner and outer courtyards of the Jing An Marquis Estate would have been locked by now. But because of the special circumstances tonight, Jing’an Hou and the Second Master Gu had been going back and forth to inquire about the situation, so the gates were not yet locked.

Su Zhenyue had gone to Qingfeng Courtyard to find Shen Ji many times before, but always during the day. This was the first time she had come after nightfall.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw the lanterns hanging under the eaves, casting a warm yellow light.

Ping An was pacing back and forth at the entrance to the study. Hearing a sound, he turned his head and saw Su Zhenyue.

His eyes lit up, and he walked over quickly. “Miss Su, you’ve come too?”

“Yes. Where is your young master?”

“In the study,” Ping An lowered his voice. “Just now, the Marquis sent someone to ask questions, but the Young Master said he was tired and didn’t want to go over tonight, that he would talk tomorrow. Later, the Second Master came to ask in person, but he didn’t get anything out of him either.”

Su Zhenyue asked, “What about you? Do you know what happened?”

Ping An shook his head. “I don’t know. The Young Master didn’t say. I only vaguely heard the Third Young Master say it was ‘inappropriate words’ that angered the Emperor, but I don’t know what kind of inappropriate words they were.”

Was His Majesty the Emperor really that petty?

Su Zhenyue frowned slightly.

Inappropriate words? Ordinary inappropriate words certainly wouldn’t have such severe consequences. There was likely another reason, but from Ping An’s tone, it seemed Shen Ji was unwilling to talk about it.

Fine, if he didn’t want to say it, so be it. Now that things had come to this, the specific reason was no longer important. What mattered was the future.

“I’ll go see my cousin.” Her biggest worry right now was that Shen Ji was feeling down.

“Alright.” Ping An was more than happy for her to go and offer comfort.

…

The door to the study was ajar.

Su Zhenyue moved with extreme lightness, quietly pushing the door open.

At this moment, only one oil lamp was lit in the study, and the light was dim.

Shen Ji sat by the window, his eyes slightly closed, not saying a word.

He was still replaying the day’s events in his mind. He had been cautious in every way at the palace banquet, but an accident had still occurred. From the moment his dark blue silk robe was stained to the end of the Qionglin Banquet, he replayed every single detail, not letting anything slip by.

It began with the Crown Prince proposing that he become the imperial son-in-law, and ended with the princess’s resolute attempt on her own life.

Shen Ji had never had any dealings with the princess before. His refusal on the grounds of a prior engagement was reasonable and logical, and did not damage the princess’s dignity. Why would she go to such lengths?

And the Crown Prince, upon learning he was already engaged and unwilling to marry into the imperial family, could have just found someone else. Why was he so insistent on him?

Was it the extreme pride of the imperial nobility, or was there some hidden detail he had overlooked?

Suddenly, with a “creak,” the door was pushed open.

Shen Ji turned his gaze and saw Su Zhenyue walking toward him.

In the darkness, she was dressed in simple, elegant clothes, her steps extremely light, as if afraid of disturbing him.

Shen Ji’s reaction was uncharacteristically slow. He stared blankly for a moment before standing up. “Why are you here?”

Though the light was dim, he did not miss the worry on her face.

“I was worried, so I came to see you.” Su Zhenyue drew near and, very naturally, lit another lamp.

The study instantly brightened. She studied Shen Ji carefully. Seeing that although his brow was slightly furrowed, his expression was calm and his face showed little sign of gloom, she felt a little more at ease.

She thought to herself that compared to the fire at the post station, this setback was nothing. In that long dream, the future emperor, Yan Wang, had held Shen Ji’s talents in high regard. As long as he could endure these few years, he wouldn’t have to worry about not being valued by the new emperor.

Perhaps going to the Hanlin Academy to be a courtier close to the Son of Heaven would have truly been a detriment to his future.

Thinking this way, Su Zhenyue felt that him offending the current emperor wasn’t such a bad thing.

But she couldn’t very well say this to Shen Ji.

Shen Ji looked up. “You know, too?”

“Yes.” Su Zhenyue nodded. She wanted to comfort Shen Ji but didn’t know how to put it into words. After a moment’s thought, she simply asked, “Cousin, are you hungry?”

Shen Ji gave her a surprised look. “I thought you would ask me what happened tonight.”

“If Cousin wants to tell me, you’ll tell me.” Su Zhenyue was certainly curious, but she knew curiosity was useless.

If he didn’t want to say it, she wouldn’t ask.

Shen Ji’s gaze lowered slightly, and he said in a low voice, “I’m sorry.”

“Hm?” Su Zhenyue was taken aback. “Why are you apologizing to me?”

After a moment of silence, Shen Ji said, “You previously reminded me to be extremely careful at the Qionglin Banquet, yet this still happened. I have failed to live up to your trust.”

He believed he had done nothing improper today, and though he felt it was unjust, he could accept this turn of events. But he felt he had let her down. She wanted so badly to live a peaceful life, so much so that she was willing to entrust her entire future to him.

Su Zhenyue shook her head and said sincerely, “You don’t need to apologize to me for this. It’s… not good, but it’s not your fault.”

Not wanting to speak ill of the emperor directly, she pointed a finger upward.

Then, she returned to her previous topic. “Are you hungry? I heard from Zhenzhen that at these kinds of banquets, the food is mostly for show. You can only look, not eat, so you have to eat something beforehand to fill your stomach.”

Under the lamplight, the young woman’s eyes were crystal bright, her voice soft and gentle.

Shen Ji was dazed for a moment. He thought to himself that even though he knew she didn’t have much affection for him, at this moment, he still couldn’t stop his heart from being moved by her.

——Today’s incident had been sudden, and both Jing’an Hou and Second Master Gu were anxious to question him about the specific reasons, their words laced with blame. Only she had rushed over in the middle of the night, lit a lamp for him, and tried to cheer him up.

A warmth spread through Shen Ji’s chest, and he averted his gaze. “It’s not for show.”

“What?” Su Zhenyue didn’t react for a moment.

Shen Ji explained, “I said, the food at the Qionglin Banquet is not for show. You can eat it.”

Su Zhenyue blinked, thinking that if he still had the leisure to explain such an insignificant detail, he must be in an acceptable mood.

She gave a slightly exaggerated smile. “Oh, so you can eat it. Let’s not talk about that. Guess what delicious thing I brought for you? You can’t guess, can you?”

As she spoke, Su Zhenyue unfolded a piece of oiled paper, revealing a square pastry inside: translucent and crystalline, dotted with red beans.

“It’s red bean cake. Would you like to try some?”

Shen Ji had little appetite at the moment, but gazing into the young woman’s smiling eyes, his heart suddenly softened, and he took a bite to be polite.

A faint sweetness spread through his mouth, and a faint sweetness seemed to fill his chest as well.

Shen Ji swallowed the red bean cake and said in a low voice, “It’s getting late, Mianmian. You should go back and rest.”

“I’m not sleepy. I want to stay a little longer,” Su Zhenyue refused.

Unexpectedly, Shen Ji said, “But I’m sleepy.”

Su Zhenyue was at a loss for words. She blinked and let out a soft “Oh.”

Taking in her expression, Shen Ji couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m really fine. Don’t worry about me.”

After a pause, he repeated what he had said earlier to his fellow Jinshi graduates: “I know that as long as one keeps the world in one’s heart, one can bring blessings to a place no matter where one is.”

Hearing his magnanimous words, Su Zhenyue felt a great deal of admiration. If their positions were reversed, she definitely couldn’t be like him right now.

She nodded emphatically. “Right, I think so too. As long as a person is safe and sound, it’s the same everywhere. Besides, a blessing in disguise, who knows? Maybe this is a good thing for you.”

Shen Ji smiled but said nothing.

Because of his insistence, Su Zhenyue did not stay long after all. She left the pastries and returned to the West Wing Courtyard.

The study was silent, with only the occasional chirping of unknown insects outside.

Shen Ji’s gaze swept over the red bean cake on the table, and he raised a hand to press his brow.

With his talents, he was confident he could achieve something no matter where he was. What he was pondering now were two things.

First, was there more to today’s events than met the eye?

Second, how should he settle her?

The news that the new Number One Scholar had angered the emperor at the Qionglin Banquet spread quickly.

The next day, several censors submitted memorials to the throne, pleading for leniency for Shen Ji.

——Although these censors were not clear on the specific reasons, there was no precedent in this dynasty for a new Number One Scholar not to enter the Hanlin Academy. They naturally tried their utmost to dissuade the emperor.

The emperor, finding it utterly annoying, directly issued an edict forbidding any discussion of the matter in court. He then ordered his chief eunuch to deliver a verbal decree: Shen Ji was to depart immediately and was not to linger in the capital.

Lingering in the capital, was he waiting for others’ pleas to succeed and for the emperor to retract his order?

Jing’an Hou had originally intended to hide the matter of Shen Ji offending the emperor from Old Madam Wen. But with the emperor’s chief eunuch personally delivering the verbal decree, it could no longer be hidden.

Not just her, but the entire Jing An Marquis Estate knew.

Just a few days ago, he was the glorious new Number One Scholar. In just a few days’ time, he had offended the emperor and been tragically demoted.

Su Zhenyue, who had been the object of much envy, had now become an object of pity for the past few days.

The moment Madam Zhou saw her, she sighed and lamented, then took her hand and said, “A Yue, it’s not that your foster father is unwilling to help. There’s truly nothing to be done. I heard that in the Censorate, several censors were reprimanded just for pleading on his behalf.”

“I understand, Foster Mother.” Su Zhenyue expressed her understanding, appearing very reasonable.

“Sigh, and His Majesty won’t even let him linger in the capital, demanding he set off immediately. But your wedding hasn’t even been held yet,” Madam Zhou sighed. “This… this will probably have to be delayed. And who knows for how long…”

Su Zhenyue nodded and said softly, “Yes, I know.”

There was nothing to be done about it. Perhaps she should discuss moving the wedding date up with Shen Ji?

Madam Zhou only sat for a short while before getting up to leave.

Su Zhenyue rallied her spirits and resumed directing Doukou and Nanxing in packing the trunks. “Pick out the light and valuable things to pack first. We’ll leave behind what’s not important.”

Just as she was speaking, Ping An’s voice rang out in the courtyard. “Miss Su! Is Miss Su here?”

“What is it?” Su Zhenyue walked out quickly. Only when she was in the courtyard did she realize that it wasn’t just Ping An; Shen Ji was there too.

For the past two days, many people within and outside the court had been privately discussing his affairs. The Jing An Marquis Estate was also abuzz with gossip.

But Shen Ji himself looked completely unlike someone at the center of a storm. Upon seeing Su Zhenyue, he even smiled slightly. “Are you free? I have something to discuss with you.”

“I’m free.”

“Let’s talk at my place.”

Curious, Su Zhenyue followed him to the study in Qingfeng Courtyard.

Shen Ji took an item from his robes, placed it on the table, and pushed it forward. “This is a bank draft for ten thousand taels of silver.”

Su Zhenyue’s eyes went wide.

How much?

Ten thousand taels?!

“His Majesty’s verbal decree is for me to set out for Anle County immediately. I must leave the capital by tomorrow at the latest,” Shen Ji said directly. “These bank drafts are for you.”

Su Zhenyue picked up the bank drafts and looked at them. “Are they for me to keep safe?”

“They’re for you to use.”

Su Zhenyue nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely keep the bank drafts safe.”

Her own private savings weren’t much, but with this sum from Shen Ji, their journey should be quite comfortable.

Shen Ji lowered his eyes. “I know you’ve always wanted to leave the Jing An Marquis Estate sooner. Unfortunately, the situation has changed now, and I’d like to ask for your opinion. Would you prefer to find another residence to live in, or would you like to go to Qingzhou first?”

Su Zhenyue blinked. “What do you mean?”

“The journey to Anle County is long and arduous, and the conditions there are harsh. We are not yet married, so you don’t have to follow me to suffer. As for Qingzhou, although my parents are no longer with us, my aunt and uncle are very kind. I can arrange for an escort to take you there, and they will surely look after you…”

Su Zhenyue understood. He wanted to settle her somewhere safe and go to his post alone.

How could that be?

If the wedding was postponed, who knew what other trouble the Grand Princess might stir up? What if she found another excuse to bestow a marriage upon her? What would she do then?

Of course, most importantly, Shen Ji had treated her very well. She had to repay him and help him avert that fated calamity.

Since her warning before the Qionglin Banquet had been ineffective, she would follow him all the way, being careful at all times and paying attention to everything. She would surely be able to avoid that great fire.

With this in mind, Su Zhenyue interrupted him and said earnestly, “Then can’t we just get married early? I’m not going to Qingzhou, nor anywhere else. I’m going with you, to Anle County.”